The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-23
\ Terrible Explosion,

/
| When the large number OF people of 0tta
wa were awakened about half past two O'Clock
Thursday morning by a sound like q sup.
pressed thunder peal, or Of something falling
| with thud.lke sound in another room be.
hind closed door, followed by perceptible
shiver of the house each happened to be In,
or OF rafting OF glasses on the side.board or
of the mirror on the wall, probably every one
OF them, except one lady we heard of,
who had experienced it, thought at once OF a
seismic shock; and, since no damage ap.
peared to have been don and no repetition of
the shock occurred, secretly enjoyed a small
satisfaction In having experienced the sensa.
ton of an earthquake. Even the one or more
who by experience knew on the instant that
1t was not an earthquake shock, doubtless
were astonshed to learn that the cause of
that very distinct motion of the earth In Otta-
wa was an explosion sixteen miles away
Scores OF people heard the report of the cx.
plosion In Ottawa and felt the conclusion In
their hImcs; and 1t was only when the first
reports of the burning of some ten tons Of
powder mot to say dynamite in part at Strca.
tor came IA that the mystery of the trouble
was explained.
The powder magazine Of the Ncrmilhou
Coal Company was located near No. 2 shaft
only about 800 feet outside the corporation
line, in TIE midst of II thickly populated part
of the town, aud little if any more than half u
mile from the centre of the city. This maya.
zine was built of brick and cement and cased
IN irou--a substantial structure, no doubt,
safe enough in ordinary combats with the
elements, yet helpless as 1t proved to resist
that mysterious monster, the lightning.
During the progress of heavy thunder
storm the magazine was struck and its con.
tents exploded. That the reyerbcration of
the report was such that it should have been
heard and the shock felt in Ottawa, sixteen
miles distant, can probably convey little idea
to one who did not hear 1t in Streator, of the
tremendousnesss of the noise or of the sub.
lime power of the explosive. What each being
in Streator appears to have thought was that
Il terrific fash of lightning had struck his
own house, AS he awoke to the crashing of
falling walls, the smashing Of glass aud the
falling of plaster.
The wreck caused is simply appalling.
Throughout the town hardly house or bust.
ness block escaped injury Of some sort, from
utter demolition to the breaking of its win
dows. More then so houses were utterly de-
mollshed, some SO effectually demolished that
scarce anything remains 10 mark the spot.
Most of them were owned by working people,
upon whom the loss bears with extreme Sc.
verify. In the business part OF town hardly n
pane of plate glass remains, $40 900 being the
lowest estimate placed on this form Of the
destruction alone.
1t is marvellous that in so terrific calamity
the loss Of life should have been so small,
only one person, Isaiah Ralston Whose daugh.
ter is an employe Of Hess Il Co., Of this city,
having been killed. A great many others
were more or less hurt, and will need the good
offices Of their townsmcn and ncighboro be-
fore they have recovered, for many Of them
most of them-are of the poorer body of
citizens For their necessities that charitable
instinct so characteristic Of the American
people, has already been called forth; and
local relief societies are busy in their good
work. The council in the afternoon appro
priated 81 900, and in few minutes CANVASS
$50 more were raised by private subscription.
Streator will care for her own. The homeless
will be housed; the injured cared for, and the
suffering taken charge Of by Christian men
and women.
The money damages can only be estimated,
and when SO arrived at, reaches from $50, 900
to 800, 900. The heaviest losses fail upon the
poor, whose homes are wiped out and whose
earnings and savings have thus been swept
from off the earth. Whether any Of this may
yet be recovered from the coal company,
whose violation of the ordinance in keeping
such quantity Of explosives inside the limit
Of half a mile of the city limits is unques
toned, is point the law courts may yet be
called upon to adudicate
An inquest was held on the body of Isaiah
Ral,ton, aud the coroncr's jury returned a
verdict, ccnsurDg the coal company for keep.
ing It's powder house so close t. the city.
Raston was killed by brick which had
pierced the wall Of his house. In the bed was
also a child with dog in lis arms. The
dog was Killed also, but the infant escaped
unhurt.